Music

By Mikael Wood Los Angeles Times (TNS) The stated theme for this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards was “My Journey,” which meant that the show featured, in addition to performances and acceptance speeches, artists describing formative moments in their careers. There was Kelly Clarkson talking about winning “American Idol.” There was Nicki Minaj recalling her first conversation with her mentor Lil Wayne. There was Hozier remembering how his song “Take Me …

BACKUP singer turned solo powerhouse Lisa Fischer is on a national tour that brings her to Northampton Tuesday. After being featured in the documentary film “Twenty Feet from Stardom,” Fischer has gone from singing backup for acts like The Rolling Stones and Sting, to having her name on the marquee at venues all …

The Johannes Quartet, new to the Music in Deerfield concerts, performed at Smith College’s Sage Hall Sunday before a large and enthusiastic audience. The concert began with a challenge to the audience, that is, a performance of “Homunculus,” written for the quartet in 2007 by Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. This short work’s title …

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Tony Jillson can still remember the moment, in late December 1994, when the phone rang in his Brooklyn apartment. A reporter from The New York Times was on the line, asking about a childhood friend of his, Cynthia …

Song swaps are a pretty regular staple in acoustic music circles, where three to four solo artists take turns singing one of their tunes while the others provide leads, background harmonies or other support — and everyone on …

The Nields released their 17th album, “XVII,” Monday and their voices are as powerful as ever. After almost 25 years of playing together, Katryna, 45, and Nerissa Nields, 47, have produced some of the best material of their …

Musical prodigy Ilana Zaks began studying violin at the age of 3½, with her mother. Now all of 15, the Needham resident has appeared as a soloist with the Boston Civic Symphony, the New England Philharmonic, the Nashua …

Having penned over 100 songs about the Earth and the environment during her career, children’s musician and recording artist Sarah Pirtle has made the theme of ecology her own. In 2007, the Children’s Music Network acknowledged her widespread …

The idea for this week’s “Four Sundays in February” show was first floated during the dog days of summer, according to Steve Sanderson, event producer for the Northampton Arts Council and frontman of the long-running Valley band Drunk …

Trumpet player Eric Berlin, a music professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been nominated for a Grammy Award, along with his UMass Wind Ensemble. The nod is for the group’s performance, with Berlin as soloist, of …

In the current galaxy of pop music, few bands burn as brightly as The New Pornographers. Their songs are supercharged with stacks of smart hooks and harmonies, memorably original lyrics, soaring sing-along choruses and a surging spirit — …

ACTIVIST INSIGHT Angela Davis, a political activist who spent 18 months in jail and was on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list, will give a public talk at Smith College Saturday as keynoter for the Smith College Black Students Association’s conference. These days, she focuses on social problems …